<nettime> How to Avoid Complying with ICANN's ByLaws

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<http://www.icannwatch.org/article.php?sid=483&mode=thread&order=0>

     How to Avoid Complying with ICANN's ByLaws
     Posted by david on Friday, November 30 @ 13:39:00 MST
     Contributed by joannalane
     
     ICANN's behavior follows in that fine old American
     tradition, the most corrupt political machines. Here's a
     handy guide to the ways ICANN can avoid complying with its
     own rules and procedures.
     
      - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
     
     Claim a "narrow technical mission" (avoids engagement in an
     argument one cannot win) 
     
     Claim that "societal issues" must be given proper
     consideration in policy decisions (useful to advance
     "mission creep")
     
     Claim lack of adequate representation/ consensus building
     procedures (isolates and disarms opponents)
     
     Issue a press release to claim wide community support for a
     new policy (avoids having to produce any supporting
     documentation)
     
     Claim that ICANN is an evolving process (valid defense
     against material evidence of failed policies)
     
     Claim that ICANN is not a legal enforcing organization
     (protects the interests of donors that are in reach of
     contract)
     
     Deny input from selected groups (useful to ensure
     constituencies recommend policies that fit with master plan)
     
     Withdraw Secretariat services (good for saotaging the tenure
     of potentially effective Chairs and Working Groups)
     
     Create an intake committee (filtering device to eliminate
     unwanted agenda items)
     
     Make an announcement to run a particular course of action
     (useful to override a resolution that has been passed for an
     opposite course of action- only effective if the issue has
     been ignored for a while)
     
     Decide that the views of 7 - 21 people represents community
     consensus (reduces the workload to sustantiate desired
     results/ eliminates assemly input without the need to
     restructure)
     
     Withhold information (in particular financial
     expenditure/budgetary cuts that cannot be sustantiated)
     
     Fail to enforce Registrar agreements (write "politically
     correct" clauses into contracts which both signatories know
     will not be enforced)
     
     The difference between an honest politician and a corrupt
     one is that the honest politician stays bought. ICANN isn't
     even that honest, as both the winners and the losers of the
     TLD lottery can attest.
     
     [With thanks to Roeland Meyer for categorizing, analysis and
     notes.]
 




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